Thailand steadily slipping behind its neighbours

[Artisi]

11 hours ago, leeneeds said:

 

Even grade school kids know you can not buy a lolly pop if you have no money.

How about a submarine or two? 

[Baerboxer]

43 minutes ago, JAG said:

Oh I think it is a balanced post - a chip on both shoulders...

 

Unlike your good self. Just one big chip on one shoulder.

[Baerboxer]

27 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

That's what the article said when they highlighted unfavourable political climate as reason for the average 4% GDP growth. During elected governments, we were growing around 5%+ on the average. In Thaksin tenure, we even have a 7.2% GDP growth. Now we are happy to have 3.5% growth. Look around the region where growth have been consistent and trending better. Why? Simply because there are no coups and there are political stability which is the key condition that investors look for. Indonesia and Philippines are perfect examples of what they can achieved when they have political stability. If Thailand is to move out of the middle income trap and become a developed country, it will need at least a 5-6% GDP growth for next 10 years. Coups are the spoilers and is a key problem for Thailand economic well being.  

 

Indeed Eric. Such a shame that Thaksin and his clan just couldn't keep their fingers out of the cookie jar or keep within the law.

 

Such a waste of talent that could have really delivered meaningful change. If only..... but alas, not to be.

[gummy]

4 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

More revealing is how much their cumulative wealth has grown since the 2014 coup. 

Whish is exactly what the coup was all about as mentioned in other posts.

[wakeupplease]

4 hours ago, maxpower said:

They are deep in Googleland frantically seeking cut and paste munitions.

Or smoking the S>>> that gives them power of hallucinations

 

[metisdead]

Posts in violation of fair use policy have been removed as well as the replies.  Off topic anyway. 

[ozmeldo]

10 hours ago, inThailand said:

Yup!  They will blame and take it out on expats. Life here is not going to get easier.

This is not true. I have students that literally want to leave the country they are so disillusioned. They see little future here.

[Eric Loh]

25 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Indeed Eric. Such a shame that Thaksin and his clan just couldn't keep their fingers out of the cookie jar or keep within the law.

 

Such a waste of talent that could have really delivered meaningful change. If only..... but alas, not to be.

Thailand is now left to dream of the lost opportunities and better standard of living if the coups never happened. But we know the military and the elites will never ever allow losing their dominance over power and their position at the trough. What a waste for the majority of population to be suppressed by the minority establishment.

[shanesox]

let the Baht rise higher. then everyone is wealthier and the cost of living goes down across the board. energy is a bigger part of equations than it is given credit for..... and more consumption is how China is progressing and a stronger Baht would support that.

and the writer still avoids pointing a finger at the Big Social Contract..... the one even the current government did not even try to break. you can't manage schools from Bangkok no matter how many local organizations you set up.. if they are all beholden to Bangkok. you're losing seriously on a horrific 'education' system.. absolutely horrific. great for training medical doctors and spelling bees contestants that can memorize stuff.... but a big zero on even trying to stay current in all sorts of technology advances. a backwater. why? no sign of literacy.. even in those attending or teaching at school.... let alone in the general population. without that.. how can you connect? watching videos and hiring folks who for some reason decide to stay in Thailand for a little while.... yet you have to issue your own "teachers licenses" for them... because they ain't got real credentials. that's a really sad thing.



 

Sounds like a rant from an uneducated person complaining about foreign teachers. A pretty pathetic and badly phrased rant at that!


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[Baerboxer]

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Thailand is now left to dream of the lost opportunities and better standard of living if the coups never happened. But we know the military and the elites will never ever allow losing their dominance over power and their position at the trough. What a waste for the majority of population to be suppressed by the minority establishment.

 

Very true Eric. But please do remember that Thaksin, Yingluck and their clan are part of that elite hiso hierarchy who all want control, power and dominance over the trough. If only they weren't.

 

And sadly, that minority suppression and minority grip on wealth and power seems to be characterizing many countries now. The divisions are getting wider.

[Ricardo]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I respect Thailand and Thai people. That doesn't mean I have to be a mindless sheep with no opinion about anything. That's your choice but don't try and tell others to follow your example.

 

Provides you shelter - you a refugee then?

 

"Provides you shelter"  from the post you were replying-to  ...

 

Most of us are paying-guests, and the extra money which we bring into the country then results in extra-business worth several times what we bring in, something called the multiplier-effect.

 

http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Managing_the_economy/The_multiplier_effect.html

 

I too respect Thailand and Thai people, after all my wife & kids hold Thai-nationality, but that doesn't mean that you or I left our brains at home, when we came here ! 

[observer90210]

All this GDP issue is just a big misunderstanding!!...

 

As TAT claims, things have never been so flourishing and tourists flock the country...especially at 5 hour immigration queues at major metro Thai airports...

[Eric Loh]

25 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Very true Eric. But please do remember that Thaksin, Yingluck and their clan are part of that elite hiso hierarchy who all want control, power and dominance over the trough. If only they weren't.

 

And sadly, that minority suppression and minority grip on wealth and power seems to be characterizing many countries now. The divisions are getting wider.

Thaksin is only a fraction of the political history but the reluctance of the establishment to share their wealth and power is a political constant. Sadly military governments spent more time than elected and the gini index struggle. The inequality are getting wider in Thailand as long as the eatablishment does not share their wealth and power with the people. 

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Thaksin is only a fraction of the political history but the reluctance of the establishment to share their wealth and power is a political constant. Sadly military governments spent more time than elected and the gini index struggle. The inequality are getting wider in Thailand as long as the eatablishment does not share their wealth and power with the people. 

 

Wow el, you must get very tired of this attempt at deflection, so perhaps you could explain in real detail and with several examples of what your trying to say, especially your words about "...but the reluctance of the establishment to share their wealth and power..."

 

Further can you honestly say that your idol wasn't power hungry? 

 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, Tilacme said:

Let me let you into a little secret, you have no opinion of worth on how this country is run.  Feel free to sit back and applaud or condemn, but if you think you have the slightest degree of ownership on how this country is run then I am here to tell you that you are seriously deluded.

Think the comment was having a personal opinion, not one likely to influence the countries direction. 

[Justgrazing]

This can happen when you let military do the housekeeping .. They spend money on stuff thats no good around the house .. stuff like sub's ' n ' ship missiles .. 

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Why must you engage in debate in saying total silly rubbish to your interlocutor? Did nobody educate you with some elementary manners, dear chap?

Wow interlocutor .. Nice strike dude .. Haven't heard that since public school .. 

[Lingba]

14 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

I've said before, but I'll say it again.  A crash is coming. One year?  Two years?  That I don't know, but I do know it will happen.  With a GDP of only 3.5 for the past 3 years, while other SE Asian countries surpass that, combined with the massive expenditures of the military, the country can't sustain itself.  Household debt is increasing at an alarming rate.  Banks are turning down personal loans for fear of default. Cost of living is increasing faster than the economy is growing.  

 

And when this crash happens, it will make the last one look like a picnic in the park. 

 

 

not to mention the overly strong baht....the people in this country will go into a mass panic when the shit hits the fan

[Justgrazing]

2 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Never to late to learn, dude!

Indubitably .. 

[gandalf12]

13 hours ago, gummy said:

Wrong.  Thais never blame themselves as they believe they are always right. 

Exactly it will always be someone else's fault

[metisdead]

Posts containing offensive comments directed at other members have been removed as well as the replies.  Keep it civil please. 

[Helios]

When I first moved here in 2010, all the foreigners could ever think about Thailand. Fast forward 7 years and now I'm hearing of talks of moving to Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and even some of returning back home. I try to get an insight in the reasoning for this and most common answer I get is that feeling of being stuck. Wages have just stayed the same with no increase in salaries and progress has been slow. 

[tryasimight]

12 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

And basically Joe citizen doesn't care, expects 'someone' to fix it, but without any personal pain, and even worse Joe citizen doesn't even understand the overall situation.

 

Ask a few Thai bachelor students some basics and don't be surprised when they are no clue whatever, and don't want to learn.

 

"Where does the money come from the build a new hospital?"

 

"From the government, which means that we should have very rich people in the government."

 

"No, that's not how it works, the money comes from taxation / parsee., and everybody pays some form of tax, salary, VAT, etc."

 

"But that's not fair for me, I only have a little money left after I pay my monthly installment on my expensive smartphone and pay taxis to get to uni and then go shopping." 

You could ask many of the Australian bludgers welfare recipients ( or 'the most vulnerable' or 'disadvantaged' as the lefties like to call them now) and you would get a similar response. The Government has plenty of money in their minds (and they do - other peoples money)

[mommysboy]

Perhaps they should leave the ASEAN, as it is clearly holding Thailand back: THEXIT.

[kickstart]

With out going through all the past  posts in this thread it might have been said , but it  could/ will be  a case of history  repeats its self,

I can remember back in the 1970's-80's the so called "Banana  Republics " having military take overs ,the  generals in charge use to try and govern a  country, ok a lot use to bleed the country dry, but some tried nearly all failed, leaving the country in debt.

The way this government is going it will join the list, military generals ,are military men , not politicians who can goven  a country. 

[Justgrazing]

19 hours ago, gummy said:

It started slipping in 2006 when the military moved in in support of the Elite and others who were being pushed out of the trough but an economically astute and democratically elected government. ( Remember that the Thaksin administration had repaid the countries borrowings from the IMF early.  The only country to have done so).  Ever since it has slipped and tripped further down the drain by the continuing process of mismanaged economics,  not understood in any depth by the military and their supporters, rather spent on unsound infrastructure and military spending with almost the total avoidance of support being given to the poorer Thais.

 

Nothing will change and put Thailand back on the road to economic leadership until these people are  totally removed from power and influence and a sound economy is restored that benefits all of the nation not just a few thousand at the top. What it will take to achieve that and the timescale is a matter of conjecture.

12 successful coup's ( 7 unsuccessful ) the last 85 yrs should give an idea what the default setting  is If it is felt that the equilibrium is being disrupted or threatened .. 

[Justgrazing]

17 hours ago, soalbundy said:

If you go back as far as Oliver Cromwell (you could say that this was a military government albeit a parliamentary one) that was successful economically although unpopular. 

Unpopular is one way to put it .. Not to mention " Old Ironsides " himself .. 

[Nowisee]

 

9 hours ago, Helios said:

When I first moved here in 2010, all the foreigners could ever think about Thailand. Fast forward 7 years and now I'm hearing of talks of moving to Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and even some of returning back home. I try to get an insight in the reasoning for this and most common answer I get is that feeling of being stuck. Wages have just stayed the same with no increase in salaries and progress has been slow. 

A few of the thai people I talk with shake their heads, are genuinely concerned about their own financial futures and if they had the slightest chance/money would leave thailand for a better opportunity. 

I've traveled with a few of them to Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia and during/after the trip they say things about thailand that I thought I would never hear from them.  They see it, they live it and know it's slipped into short term hopelessness.  

 

For me,  I see more of the unhappiness, greediness and less of the smiles.    

It still works as a base for me, but I find the other countries much more inviting and fun.  The people much more friendly, helpful, intelligent and ambitious.  

 

 

[mommysboy]

19 hours ago, Ricardo said:

 

"Provides you shelter"  from the post you were replying-to  ...

 

Most of us are paying-guests, and the extra money which we bring into the country then results in extra-business worth several times what we bring in, something called the multiplier-effect.

 

http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Managing_the_economy/The_multiplier_effect.html

 

I too respect Thailand and Thai people, after all my wife & kids hold Thai-nationality, but that doesn't mean that you or I left our brains at home, when we came here ! 

That is a bit of a misrepresentation of the multiplier effect, as it does rather suggest your spending is omnipotent, whereas it is just one of many sources.  But yes, no doubt about it there is a direct multiplier effect, maybe x 0.8.

 

Likewise, us farangs are absolute net contributors since we can not draw welfare benefits.

 

We don't get much thanks for it, do we?

[midas]

On 8/11/2017 at 6:33 AM, Just1Voice said:

I've said before, but I'll say it again.  A crash is coming. One year?  Two years?  That I don't know, but I do know it will happen.  With a GDP of only 3.5 for the past 3 years, while other SE Asian countries surpass that, combined with the massive expenditures of the military, the country can't sustain itself.  Household debt is increasing at an alarming rate.  Banks are turning down personal loans for fear of default. Cost of living is increasing faster than the economy is growing.  

 

And when this crash happens, it will make the last one look like a picnic in the park. 

 

 

 

this guy was too early predicting this - but he is not wrong

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessecolombo/2013/11/04/thailands-bubble-economy-is-heading-for-a-1997-style-crash/2/#3ec5982e194d